Mugshot of Joel Gonzalez Chacin following his December 1, 2024 arrest | 7-year-old Ivory Smith | Harris County Constable (Facebook) |
Mugshot of Joel Gonzalez Chacin following his December 1, 2024 arrest | 7-year-old Ivory Smith | Harris County Constable (Facebook) |
A Venezuelan national living in the U.S. illegally has been charged with felony intoxicated manslaughter following a crash on December 1, 2024, that killed a 7-year-old girl and critically injured her mother in Houston, Texas.
"On Sunday, Joel Enrique Gonzalez Chacin was arrested for Intoxication Manslaughter with a Vehicle for the death of 7-year-old Ivory Smith," the X account Illegal Immigrant Crimes posted on X. "He has an immigration detainer hold. Gonzalez Chacin is accused of running a red light while driving drunk, slamming into a car, killing Ivory Smith and critically injuring her mother."
According to the Harris County Constable’s Office, 41-year-old Joel Enrique Gonzalez Chacin was arrested after allegedly colliding with 38-year-old Christina Quainoo’s vehicle at the intersection of Bammel North Houston Road and W. Little York Road around 2:30 a.m.
Investigators say after the crash, instead of helping the victims, Chacin got out of his car and took pictures before fleeing the scene.
Deputies later located Chacin and found that he displayed “multiple signs of intoxication.”
The crash resulted in the death of Quainoo’s daughter, Ivory Smith, a second-grade student at Klenk Elementary School. Both mother and daughter were transported to the hospital, where Ivory was pronounced dead. Quainoo, though seriously injured, is expected to recover.
“Please keep the family and loved ones of the juvenile victim in your prayers this holiday season,” said Harris County Constable Mark Herman in a statement.
Chacin was taken into custody and his bond was set at $150,000 due to the severity of the crime.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and possible deportation.
In addition to the manslaughter charge, he has been placed on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold, meaning that if his bond is met, he will be transferred to ICE custody for potential deportation.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the Quainoo family and has already raised over $30,000 to assist with medical expenses and funeral costs.
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